Home  Tech   Features   Road   MTB   Cyclocross   Track   News   Images    Feedback 

Home

Preview
Teams

Results

 

Photos

 

2001 results


Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

12th Classique des Alpes - 1.1/1.8

France, June 8, 2002

2001 Results     Elite results    Juniors    Main page

Kelme duo overcomes sponsor troubles for Classique triumph

Click for larger image
The Sevilla-Botero show
Photo: © AFP

Kelme riders Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla showed that despite its sponsor troubles their squad still has the right stuff on the road when they won today's 12th edition of the Classique des Alpes, crossing the line together after Botero animated the race with a 112km breakaway.

The 164km race challenged the riders with six significant climbs: the Côte de Saint Pierre de Chartreuse, Col de Cucheron, Col du Granier, Col des Près, Col de Plainpalais and Col du Revard. However, the planned ascent of the Col des Mille Martyrs was dropped when the organisers reduced the race from 197km because of the heavy rain that has fallen in recent days.

The shorter parcours didn't change the plans of Kelme-Costa Blanca. The team rode an aggressive race, sending out the first attack after just five kilometres when Antonio Tauler went away.

The 28 year old Spaniard was first over the Côte de Saint Pierre de Chartreuse and the Col du Cucheron before being caught by the peloton at the 51km mark, on the descent of the Cucheron.

Next it was the turn of a five-man group as Jorgen-Bo Petersen (EDS-Fakta) exploded off the front, taking with him David Moncoutié (Cofidis), David Latasa (iBanesto.com) and Kelme-Costa Blanca's José-Enrique Gutierrez and Santiago Botero.

With two Kelme riders in the lead group and the peloton chasing hard there was tension in the break as to who should work, but when Gutierrez dropped off the pace on the Col du Granier, the remaining four settled their differences and worked together.

Latasa lost contact after a puncture at the foot of the Col des Prés, and Petersen was unable to hold the pace on the climb, leaving just the mountain men Moncoutié and Botero.

On the next climb, the Col de Plainpalais, the Colombian demonstrated the ascending power that won him the polka dot jersey in the 2000 Tour de France, and rode away from a tiring Moncoutié. Botero soloed on, apparently unconcerned by events further back in the race.

Meanwhile, Botero's team-mate Oscar Sevilla was on the attack, three minutes behind. A few hundred metres from the top of the final major ascent, the Col du Reward, Sevilla launched a violent attack and finally joined Botero on the descent into Aix-les Bains.

It was a sweet victory for the Kelme duo who have not been paid for the last two months. Botero crossed the line first, a much-deserved triumph after a 100km breakaway, followed by Sevilla. Petersen followed them in at 1:55.

Afterwards, Botero outlined his team's tactics. Kelme-Costa Blanca was fresh from a training camp in the Alps and Pyrenees, so the whole team had its climbing legs on. "We chose an aggressive tactic from the beginning," said Botero.

"I was told on the radio that Oscar was catching me near the end, but I was also assured that he would give me the victory because I had worked the most. I did not eat enough and, consequently, I suffered from hunger knock in the last ten kilometres.

"This victory is a gift for the sponsor. I cannot believe that a team that has existed for 22 years, and that has achieved so many results, may not survive because of lack of money."

For Sevilla, the Classique was preparation and an indicatior for the team's next big challenge. "The Classique was a significant test for us from the point of view of the Tour de France. We trained all last week on this course. I felt in very good form and so was ready to join Santiago toward the end."

Disappointingly, the race had a number of notable absences: Lance Armstrong's US Postal team chose to skip the Classique in order to prepare for Sunday's prologue stage of the Dauphiné, and Laurent Jalabert (CSC-Tiscali) made the same decision.

Results - 197 km

1 Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col) Kelme-Costa Blanca      4.25.50
2 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
3 Jorgen Bo Petersen (Den) EDS-fakta                         1.55
4 José Enrique Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
5 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis                              1.58
6 Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux               2.43
7 Aitor Kintana (Spa) Bigmat.Auber 93                        2.46
8 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux                2.51
9 Felix Garcia Casas (Spa) Bigmat.Auber 93
10 Lennie Kristensen (Den) EDS-fakta
11 Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Cofidis                              2.53
12 Sandy Casar (Fra) La Francaise Des Jeux                   3.31
13 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) Cofidis
14 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
15 Xavier Jan (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93                          3.32
16 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Saint-Quentin Oktos              3.34
17 Nicki Sorensen (Den) Team CSC Tiscali                     4.41
18 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Credit Agricole
19 Massimiliano Lelli (Ita) Cofidis
20 Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Bigmat.Auber 93
21 Santiago Perez Fernandez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca         4.49
22 Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) iBanesto.com
23 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Ag2R Prevoyance                 8.30
24 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi            9.16
25 Laurent Paumier (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos                10.08
26 Christophe Rinero (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos
27 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Saint-Quentin Oktos               13.38
28 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance
29 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole
30 Joona Laukka (Fin) Jean Delatour                         17.26
31 Gorka Arrizabalaga Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi        20.26
32 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Ag2R Prevoyance                   21.09
33 Gorka Gonzalez Larranaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi         25.00
34 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) RDM-Flanders                     26.31

Juniors - 90 km

1 Florian Vachon (Fra) France                             2.34.18
2 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Belgium
3 Lars Boom (Ned) Netherlands
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Luxembourg
5 Mathieu Perget (Fra) France
6 Julien Loubet (Fra) Haute-Garonne                          0.19
7 Zil Suray (Bel) WIE                                        1.49
8 Romain Feillu (Fra) Loir et Cher
9 Jos Harms (Ned) Netherlands
10 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Belgium
11 François Girolami (Fra) Haute-Garonne
12 Stéphane Goncalves (Fra) Rhone Alpes                      1.58
13 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille           2.07
14 Marc De Maar (Ned) Netherlands                            2.23
15 Marcel Lamberts (Ned) Netherlands                         3.20
16 Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) France
17 Thierry Hupond (Fra) France
18 Julien Barbier (Fra) SAR                                  3.24
19 Thomas Frei (Swi) Liechtenstein                           3.28
20 Julien Pinna (Fra) Haute-Garonne                          3.47
21 Nicolas Roche (Irl) OCCV Draguignan                       3.54
22 Olivier Lefrancois (Fra) HTM                              5.14
23 Julien Bourelly (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille
24 David Jean (Fra) Rhone Alpes
25 Julien El Fares (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille             5.19
26 Stéphan Kushlev (Bul) VCC                                 6.27
27 Adrien Gorand (Fra) Rhone Alpes                           7.02
28 Onno Gerritsen (Ned) Netherlands                          7.09
29 Nicolas Chadefaux (Fra) Auvergne                          7.12
30 Laurent Didier (Lux) Luxembourg                           7.57
31 Mickaël Suchaud (Fra) Limousin
32 Julien Boyer (Fra) Limousin
33 Wilfried Exertier (Fra) SAV                               8.16
34 Romain Sdrigotti (Fra) PCR                                8.19
35 Loïc Barre (Fra) Loir et Cher                             8.31
36 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Loir et Cher
37 Sylvain Berreteaga (Fra) Languedoc-Rous                   8.58
38 Sylvain Cheval (Fra) BRE                                  9.01
39 Egon Van Kessel (Ned) Netherlands                         9.24
40 Ludovic Renard (Fra) Loir et Cher                         9.27
41 Sébastien Carreau (Fra) SAR
42 Cyril Desforges (Fra) VCR                                 9.40
43 Nic Ingels (Bel) Belgium                                 10.04
44 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) PCR                               10.19
45 Frédéric Barbe (Fra) Haute-Garonne
46 Yoann Lucas (Fra) BRE
47 Mickaël Renou (Fra) PCR
48 Vincent Guihard (Fra) PCR
49 Pierre Lusiak (Fra) Rhone Alpes
50 Guillaume Boucheix (Fra) Auvergne
51 Vincent Graczyk (Fra) Loir et Cher                       10.25
52 Aurélien Menard (Fra) Loir et Cher                       10.33
53 Sébastien Fonlupt (Fra) Auvergne                         10.56
54 Bertrand Virat (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
55 Raphaël Junot (Fra) USN
56 Thomas Peyroton (Fra) Haute-Garonne
57 Vincent Barrier (Fra) Limousin
58 Romain Villa (Fra) HTM
59 Maarten Neyens (Bel) WIE                                 11.25
60 Clément Barbisan (Fra) VC Cheylard
61 Julien Ropert (Fra) BRE
62 Florent Juilly (Fra) France
63 Thomas Lejeune (Fra) US Creteil
64 Christophe Fabri (Bel) Belgium
65 Jean-Christophe Mourier (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
66 Alexandre Coursodon (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille
67 Pierre Roussel (Fra) HTM                                 12.36
68 Vincent Vercruysse (Bel) WIE
69 Ingmar De Poortere (Bel) Belgium
70 Florent Gohier (Fra) SAR                                 12.40
71 Fabien Roulleau (Fra) VC Cheylard                        12.46
72 Mickaël Mallet (Fra) Auvergne
73 Aurélien Ribet (Fra) SAR                                 13.39
74 Yohan Cauquil (Fra) Languedoc-Rous                       14.03
75 Fabien Fabre (Fra) OCCV Draguignan                       15.28
76 Gilles Hendel (Lux) Luxembourg
77 Eric Malgouzoux (Fra) Auvergne
78 Loïc Gazzotti (Fra) SAV                                  16.20
79 Olivier Veyret (Fra) Rhone Alpes                         17.19
80 Jérémie Caudard (Fra) BRE
81 Bruno Vienne (Fra) PCR
82 Manuel Hermann (Lie) Liechtenstein                       17.36
83 Thomas Strubi (Swi) Liechtenstein
84 Fabien Amic (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille                18.23
85 Julien Bescot (Fra) US Creteil
86 Aurélien Passeron (Fra) OCCV Draguignan
87 Raphaël Marion (Fra) VC Cheylard                         19.24
88 Anthony Esposito (Fra) France
89 Damien Martinent (Fra) VC Cheylard
90 Sébastien Besqueut (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire             21.22
91 Cyril Florent (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
92 Guillaume Favre (Fra) Rhone Alpes
93 Jérémy Moret (Fra) US Creteil
94 Christophe Lefevre (Fra) HTM
95 Romain Chambodu (Fra) VCR
96 Alexandre Cabrera (Fra) Languedoc-Rous
97 Emile Puyberthier (Fra) Limousin
98 Benoît Pavee (Fra) SAR
99 Nicolas Le Bras (Fra) BRE                                21.51
100 Emmanuel Guinard (Fra) US Creteil                       22.22
101 Anthony Fiorillo (Fra) Languedoc-Rous
102 Philippe Melia (Fra) VC La Pomme - Marseille            23.16
103 Marc Antheaume (Fra) PCR
104 Yves Reynaud (Fra) SAV                                  24.20
105 Pierre Charre (Fra) VC Cheylard
106 David Merle (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
107 Charlie Vaudelle (Fra) SAR                              24.35
108 Sébastien Pillon (Fra) Haute-Garonne
109 Christian Wuest (Lux) Luxembourg                        26.05
110 Patrick Gressenich (Lux) Luxembourg
111 Mathias Pype (Fra) HTM                                  26.52
112 Sébastien Chapuis (Fra) SAV
113 Thomas Leroy (Fra) USN                                  28.07
114 Julien Mandon (Fra) VC Cheylard                         29.51
115 Anthony Lamidon (Fra) OCCV Draguignan
116 Guillaume Bathie (Fra) EC St-Etienne-Loire
117 Antoine Durand (Fra) VCC                                30.50
118 Steeve Gruet (Fra) BRE
119 Romain Laquerbe (Fra) VCR                               30.55
120 Steve Hoffmann (Lux) Luxembourg                         31.36
121 Marc Denonfoux (Fra) VCR                                32.17
122 Romain Piau (Fra) USN                                   32.31
123 Sébastien Cogne (Fra) SAV                               32.52

back to top